Lessons from the field: An analysis of online instructors’ “best practices”

Patrick LowenthalBoise State University

@plowenthal

Joni DunlapUniversity of Colorado Denver

1slides @ patricklowenthal.com

http://www.ted.com/speakers/stefan_sagmeister.html

Stefan Sagmeister2

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We created a list of the things we’d learned in our online courses so far…

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Patrick’s lessons…

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PatrickPatrick’’s #1: s #1: Feedback is Feedback is essentialessential

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Learning Learning online can online can be isolating be isolating and lonelyand lonely

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Need to Need to

dig deeper dig deeper w/ in-w/ in-depth depth feedbackfeedback

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Low-tech Low-tech & high-tech & high-tech approachesapproaches

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PatrickPatrick’’s #2:s #2:

““Guide on Guide on the sidethe side”” = = absent absent professor professor

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Strategies to take:Strategies to take:•Outline your teaching philosophy Outline your teaching philosophy •Explain your role in group discussions•Establish how long it should take you to respond to questions•Identify how often & when you are online•Provide students with multiple means of communication (e.g., email, IM, phone)

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Strategies to take:Strategies to take:•Outline your teaching philosophy •Explain your role in group discussionsExplain your role in group discussions•Establish how long it should take you to respond to questions•Identify how often & when you are online•Provide students with multiple means of communication (e.g., email, IM, phone)

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Strategies to take:•Outline your teaching philosophy •Explain your role in group discussions•Establish how long it should take you Establish how long it should take you to respond to questionsto respond to questions•Identify how often & when you are online•Provide students with multiple means of communication (e.g., email, IM, phone)

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Strategies to take:Strategies to take:•Outline your teaching philosophy •Explain your role in group discussions•Establish how long it should take you to respond to questions•Identify how often & when you are Identify how often & when you are onlineonline•Provide students with multiple means of communication (e.g., email, IM, phone)

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Strategies to take:Strategies to take:•Outline your teaching philosophy •Explain your role in group discussions•Establish how long it should take you to respond to questions•Identify how often & when you are online•Provide students with multiple means Provide students with multiple means of communication (e.g., email, IM, of communication (e.g., email, IM, phone)phone)

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Joni’s lessons…

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Joni’s #1:

High touch is just as important as high tech, if not more so

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Joni’s #2: Don't under-estimate the power of fun,

play, and the unexpected21

People don’t pay attention to boring things.

– Emotional arousal helps the brain learn.

– Audiences check out after 10 minutes, but you can keep grabbing them back by telling narratives or creating events rich in emotion. ~ Medina (2008), Brain Rules, pg.

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Your lessons…Now it’s your turn!

What are your lessons learned?

Please go to http://tinyurl.com/nwelearn2013

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So, we’ve been collecting lessonsat several conferences...

• Cite• COLTT• EdMedia• EDUCAUSE ELI

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Student support

• Address all “learning styles”• Have effective rubrics• Model what you want from students• Be more concrete and explicit with

instructions

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Structure and Presentation

• Put information in digestible chunks• Use guest lectures where appropriate• Assign meaningful work• Use technology intentionally

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Presence

• Know your audience• Be accessible• Be kind• Have a sense of humor• Use synchronous technologies

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Personal impact

• Teaching online can be done anytime/anywhere, but it sure stinks to be teaching while on vacation

• The world is your audience• I have learned how to use an iPad in

class

Your coding…How do your lessons learned align with these four categories?

--Student Support--Structure and Presentation--Presence--Personal Impact

Please go to http://tinyurl.com/nwelearn2013

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• slides @ patricklowenthal.com

• patricklowenthal@boisestate.edu

• Twitter: @plowenthal